“You always want to find something that’s missing from the area (when opening a restaurant),” she said. “It’s something that we need. My father (Joseph) and I have been looking for a barbecue place to bring to the Mansfield area.”

The Old Carolina Barbecue Co. recently opened at 2035 W. Fourth St. in the building that previously housed Popeye’s and, before that, Rax.

Joseph, Jami and Mark Feeney are co-owners of Performance Foods Corp. They own 36 Long John Silver’s and have branched out with Old Carolina.

Mark Feeney, who is also co-general manager, said Old Carolina specializes in long and slow-smoked meats. Pork is smoked for 12 hours, brisket for 10. Ribs are smoked for at least four hours.

Each restaurant in the franchise has different names for its smokers. The local business calls its smokers Smokey Joe — for the Feeneys’ father — and Gene for their grandfather.

The Feeneys, both Mansfield natives, say things have gone well so far. Hours are 10:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily. The dining room seats 82 and features shutter tables filled with acrylic. All the chairs are made in South Carolina.

Their father was the inspiration. Mark Feeney said he recalled Joe often grilled for the family, even in winter.

“I even shoveled snow for him,” he said.

Mark he wants the restaurant to have a down-home feel in keeping with Southern hospitality.

“Everybody who walks through this door is like a guest in our house,” he said.

All the food is prepared from scratch. The meat is smoked with Carolina-native hickory wood. Patrons have their choice of five sauces.

Mark calls Old Carolina’s smoked turkey breast a “hidden gem,” noting most people don’t think of turkey as a smoked meat.

“It’s to die for,” he said. “It just melts in your mouth.”

Another specialty is the Tar Heel dog, a fried hot dog topped with baked beans.

Lunch meals average around $7, Mark said, while dinners average $10.

Patrons can call ahead to pick up their orders. Old Carolina soon will offer delivery and full-service catering. For more information, call 419-529-0680.